Cincinnati-based rapper Skylar Blatt, born Sade Johnson, has been making waves in the rap scene. With a raw, unprocessed sound, her flow is catchy with fire beats to support it. Getting her start by freestyling on Facebook Live, Skylar Blatt has made a name for herself, getting offers from multiple labels, including Latto and Meek Mill.
Skylar Blatt’s Beginnings
Growing up in Downtown Cincinnati, Skylar talks about the hardships she has faced during her time there. In an Off The Porch interview, when asked about where she grew up, Skyler says “It’s based on survival. You’ve got people playing sports, doing a little bit of everything, but it’s based on surviving.” She talks about the lack of opportunity growing up. Skylar played sports in school from the third grade to the tenth grade but knew that wasn’t what she wanted to do her whole life. She was still looking for a new opportunity to present itself, and one did. Thanks to a strong support system, Skylar seized it.
Facebook Live Freestyles
Skylar Blatt’s rap career started from humble beginnings. On the weekends when partying, she and her friends would record themselves freestyling on Facebook Live. After re-watching the videos, her friends remarked on how well she sounded, pushing her to take rapping more seriously. Skylar was hesitant, until 2016 when she truly began her rap career thanks to positive reception and encouragement from her friends.
Inspiration
Growing up, Skylar found inspiration from many rappers before her. She cites Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, 50 Cent, and Jay-Z among many others. Yet she wanted her style to represent herself, not those before her. Her style is very authentic and straight from the heart. Skyler recounts having trouble with her writing, until a friend suggested she freestyle her songs, speak from the heart and take it from there. This authenticity translates beautifully to her music.
Style and Flow
Tracks such as “F**k Fame” and “God Forbid” are so laid back and catchy, that you can almost see her freestyling in the studio. While her style has changed occasionally over the years, she has stayed true to herself. Her raw style can be heard all the way back to one of her first-ever tracks, “GO THE HARDEST.” Skylar Blatt’s first mixtape SKY’S THE LIMIT is full of catchy hooks, and beats and is representative of her natural ability to rap.
After the release of her second mixtape XXL, Skylar started getting approached by labels. She briefly co-signed with Meek Mill but decided it wasn’t the right fit. After multiple successful singles, Skyler signed with ILWT (In Loyalty We Trust) which is owned by two of her childhood friends. After signing, she released her viral track “F**k Fame” which caught the attention of fellow rapper Latto and led to a co-sign deal.
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